Flower patterns improve foraging efficiency in bumblebees by guiding approach flight and landing

In this podcast for Functional Ecology, Assistant Editor, Frank Harris, sits down with Anna Stöckl—a Group Leader at Konstanz University, Germany—to discuss her recently published paper: Flower patterns improve foraging efficiency in bumblebees by guiding approach flight and landing

Anna’s paper shows that flower patterns reduced flower handling time by up to 30%, without a reduction in nectar discovery time. Instead, the patterns were involved in guiding approach flight, landing and departure decisions. Anna et al. revealed these effects on flower-experienced foragers. Since these represent the majority of active pollinators, the nectary-independent impact of flower patterns must be considered fundamental to plant–pollinator interactions under natural conditions.

* Article: https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1365-2435.14262

* Plain language summary: https://fesummaries.wordpress.com/2023/01/10/flower-patterns-improve-foraging-efficiency-in-bumblebees-by-guiding-approach-flight-and-landing/

* Transcript: https://functionalecologists.com/2023/03/30/flower-patterns-improve-foraging-efficiency-in-bumblebees-by-guiding-approach-flight-and-landing-podcast-transcript/